O'ahu briefs

Advertiser Staff

HONOLULU

Search for diver proves fruitless

A 12-hour search yesterday for a diver spotted Saturday night near a Coast Guard cutter in Honolulu Harbor yielded nothing Coast Guard officials said.

It was the second sighting of a diver near a Coast Guard vessel in the past five days. Honolulu Harbor is closed to all recreational diving and boating, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Brooksann Anderson.

The diver was spotted a little after 10 p.m. Saturday. An interagency search concluded at 11 a.m. yesterday.

Anderson said there were no signs of anything planted or of tampering.

Whale-counters numbers decline

Unusual weather may have affected February's installment of the eighth annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count, officials said.

In January, some 600 volunteers counted whales at 63 sites along the shores of O'ahu, Kaua'i, Kaho'olawe and the Big Island.

But sanctuary officials said Saturday's count involved only 400 volunteers at 32 sites, and Kaho'olawe wasn't used because of bad weather.

Overall, an average of three whales were spotted per 15-minute count period, the officials said. In January, the average was four whales.

This year's final count is set for March 27.

Final results will be compiled and analyzed, with results made available in the fall.

NORTH SHORE

Fugitive still at large

State and federal agents believed fugitive Silver Galindo was hiding in a house in Hale'iwa yesterday, but found no one when they conducted a raid.

Galindo, who is considered armed and dangerous, has seven felony convictions including drug and weapons offenses, officials said.

The Hawai'i Paroling Authority revoked Galindo's parole after a Sept. 6 incident in which he was charged with unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, theft and weapons violations.